In a game that pitted two in-state rivals, the undefeated UCF Knights (6-0) pulled off arguably their biggest win in school history with a 57-54 victory over the #16 ranked Florida Gators. In a crowd predominantly clad in Orange and Blue, the Knights were able to maintain control and stay focused to upset the two-time national champion Gators (5-2) at the Amway Center in the Florida Citrus Sports Shootout.
“It was a big win. It really put our program on the map,” Keith Clanton said.
Marcus Jordan led UCF with 18 points, including a crucial late-game layup that helped the Knights preserve the win. But it was UCF’s defense that really guided the Knights to the victory. Under head coach Donnie Jones new system, UCF suffocated UF with their full-court press and was able to hold Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons and Kenny Boynton, three of UF’s top scorers, to a combined 5-of-24 from the field.
“We won with our defense; we beat a really good basketball team out there tonight in the Florida Gators. We just hung around and we were really fortunate down the stretch to get the ball to bounce our way and hit our free throws,” Coach Jones said.
Coach Jones, who helped guide the Gators to two national championships as an assistant coach before leaving the team in 2007, prepared his squad well for the matchup. It was UCF’s first win over Florida in school history and second win against a ranked team. But this victory was like no other for the Knights as they continue to mature under Coach Jones’ fast-paced, up-tempo style.
“We’re just going out and being aggressive and really making teams play our style of basketball. I think that’s been a huge part of us winning,” Jordan said.
Although the Knights led for the majority of the contest, it was a back-and-forth game between the opponents with each team trading punches. The Gators took the lead with just over nine minutes remaining in the game after the Knights went on a huge offensive drought. However, Isaac Sosa was able to end the drought with a jumper that tied the game and got the Knights back into rhythm.
From there on, the tension was palpable in the Amway Center in Downtown Orlando, as UCF played lock down defense and was able to hit their late-game free throws to seal the game. With the Knights up 53-50 and just over two minutes left, Vernon Macklin brought the Gators with in one on a layup. Then after a missed shot by Boynton, it came down to free throws for UCF.
Jordan and Clanton hit their next four free throws to ensure the win for UCF and began the celebration.
The lone bright spot for the Gators was Macklin, who poured in 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, to go along with eight rebounds. Guard Erving Walker contributed 16 points and Boynton added 10.
While Jordan might have been the star of the night, it was a team effort that helped the Knights take down the Gators. Sophomore Keith Clanton continued his strong play with 12 points and nine boards and Dave Diakite posted eight points as well.
Despite the Knights shooting only 38 percent from the field compared to the Gators 42 percent, they were able to shut down UF’s perimeter offense, limiting them to 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from beyond the arc.
Next up for the Knights is a home contest against Southeastern Louisiana this Saturday at 4 p.m. UCF will surely have an abundance of confidence as they looked to stay undefeated. Either way, this win will be something that will be remembered for a long time.
“I’m kind of lost for words. It’s kind of surreal that this happened. I’m really proud of our team,” Coach Jones said.
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